History Main / ActionDuo

When both are paired they create an Action Duo similar to SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan and RedOniBlueOni; only these two will be practically opposites in just about every possible trait, most notably combat skill. The {{Badass}} is of course MadeOfIron, skilled at brawling and shooting, and brave enough to wade through any firefight. However, he will often be saddled by the plot with baby-sitting the ActionSurvivor, who can [[NonActionGuy (at best)]] [[FragileSpeedster run and dodge extremely well]], through endless firefights that may be targeted at ''him''. If the NonActionGuy at least manages to compensate by being TheSmartGuy, you have BrainsAndBrawn. On the other hand, if the {{Badass}} [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining sacrificed a basic skill for their awesome training]], the Action Survivor will help [[UpbringingMakesTheHero round them out]]. Expect these disparities and constant action to make them VitriolicBestBuds. However, if they're compatible enough with each other in that they each manage to kick equal amounts of ass, they're probably BashBrothers.

* Manga/Toriko and Komatsu.

* CityUnderTheHill: Seamus prefers to fight with his fists or beloved crowbar to the point where deadeye shot, Slim, is shocked to discover he can barely aim a gun.

* {{Toriko}} and Komatsu.

When both are paired they create an Action Duo similar to SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan and RedOniBlueOni; only these two will be practically opposites in just about every possible trait, most notably combat skill. The {{Badass}} is of course MadeOfIron, skilled at brawling and shooting, and brave enough to wade through any firefight. However, he will often be saddled by the plot with baby-sitting the ActionSurvivor, who can [[NonActionGuy (at best)]] [[FragileSpeedster run and dodge extremely well]], through endless firefights that may be targeted at ''him''. If the NonActionGuy at least manages to compensate by being TheSmartGuy, you have BrainsAndBrawn. On the other hand, if the {{Badass}} [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining sacrificed a basic skill for their awesome training]], the Action Survivor will help [[UpbringingMakesTheHero round them out]]. Expect these disparities and constant action to make them VitriolicBestBuds.

* John [=McClane=] and Matthew Farrell in ''LiveFreeOrDieHard''

* Hansel and Gretel from {{HanselAndGretelWitchHunters}}

* [[{{Ben10}} Ben Tennyson]] with [[GeneratorRex Rex Salazar]] in [[Ben10GeneratorRexHeroesUnited Heroes United]] and with Rook Blonko in Ben10Omniverse.

* Dillon and Ziggy from PowerRangersRPM. Dillon is a gritty MadeOfIron amnesiac much like Wolverine; Ziggy...hides behind a chair and makes shadow puppets. Not that the latter [[ChekhovsSkill ends up being less important]] than the ability to bust heads...

* Snake and Meryl in ''MetalGearSolid''. Or Snake and Otacon in the final level [[spoiler: if you let Meryl die]].

* John [=McClane=] and Matthew Farrell in ''[[Film/DieHard Live Free or Die Hard]]''

* Beck and Travis Walker from ''TheRundown''

* Roy Miller and June Havens, ''[[KnightAndDay Knight and Day]]''

* ''ClearAndPresentDanger'' has Literature/JackRyan as the ActionSurvivor. Towards the end he teams up with a soldier who's more of an ActionHero.

Believe it or not, the {{Badass}} and ActionSurvivor are not so different that they can't share the spotlight in the same story together.

When both are paired they create an Action Duo similar to SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan and RedOniBlueOni; only these two will be practically opposites in just about every possible trait, most notably combat skill. The {{Badass}} is of course MadeOfIron, skilled at brawling and shooting, and (though maybe [[Film/LethalWeapon "getting too old for this shit"]]) brave enough to wade through any firefight. However, he will often be saddled by the plot with baby-sitting the ActionSurvivor, who can [[NonActionGuy (at best)]] [[FragileSpeedster run and dodge extremely well]], through endless firefights that may be targeted at ''him''. If the NonActionGuy at least manages to compensate by being TheSmartGuy, you have BrainsAndBrawn. On the other hand, if the {{Badass}} [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining sacrificed a basic skill for their awesome training]], the Action Survivor will help [[UpbringingMakesTheHero round them out]]. Expect these disparities and constant action to make them VitriolicBestBuds.

* [[SamuelLJackson Neville Flynn]] and Sean Jones ([[EverybodyRemembersTheStripper you know, the two male leads]]) in ''SnakesOnAPlane''. Sean does shape up, though, when the snakes threaten the remaining passengers while Neville is off fixing the plane.

* Optimus Prime (or basically every other Autobot) and [[strike:SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM]] Sam in the ''[[Film/{{Transformers}} Transformers]]'' films.

[[quoteright:250:[[{{Zombieland}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Zombieland-actionduo_4984.jpg]] ]]

[[AC: {{Western Animation}}]]
* ''{{Kim Possible}}'' and Ron Stoppable, of course.

[[AC: {{Anime}}]]

* [[{{Samurai}} Hatsu]], [[LittleMissBadass Anak]] and [[ActionSurvivor Ship]] [[TheSmartGuy Leesoo]] from ''TowerOfGod'' form a three person version of this.

* Col. Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson have some elements of this in the original ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' movie. O'Neill spent most of the film just wanting to blow everything to hell, while Jackson was basically wondering ''what'' the hell was going on. They avert this in the [[StargateSG1 series]], however, when Daniel [[TookALevelInBadass took a level]].

* [[Toriko]] and Komatsu.

* In several of the ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' novels, Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan Vorpatril make up this team: Miles does the stratetic thinking while Ivan is dragooned into helping him and doing the physical stuff which the brittle-boned Miles can't.

* In several of the ''VorkosiganSaga'' novels, Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan Vorpatril make up this team: Miles does the stratetic thinking while Ivan is dragooned into helping him and doing the physical stuff which the brittle-boned Miles can't.

When both are paired they create an Action Duo similar to SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan and RedOniBlueOni; only these two will be practically opposites in just about every possible trait, most notably combat skill. The {{Badass}} is of course MadeOfIron, skilled at brawling and shooting, and (though maybe [[LethalWeapon "getting too old for this shit"]]) brave enough to wade through any firefight. However, he will often be saddled by the plot with baby-sitting the ActionSurvivor, who can [[NonActionGuy (at best)]] [[FragileSpeedster run and dodge extremely well]], through endless firefights that may be targeted at ''him''. If the NonActionGuy at least manages to compensate by being TheSmartGuy, you have BrainsAndBrawn. On the other hand, if the {{Badass}} [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining sacrificed a basic skill for their awesome training]], the Action Survivor will help [[UpbringingMakesTheHero round them out]]. Expect these disparities and constant action to make them VitriolicBestBuds.

* [[BadassPacifist Rock]] and [[DarkActionGirl Revy]] from ''Anime/{{Black Lagoon}}''.

* John {{[=McClane=]}} and Matthew Farrell in ''[[Film/DieHard Live Free or Die Hard]]''

* John [=McClane=] and Matthew Farrell in ''[[Film/DieHard Live Free or Die Hard]]''